Mr. Donald Robert Dahl

Donald Robert Dahl was born at General Hospital in Minneapolis on January 30, 1930. His mother, Maria Fluge Dahl, emigrated from Jølster, Norway, when she was 17, and his father Henry Dahl grew up in Hawley, the son of farmers from Eastern Norway. Donald watched his mother take the oath of citizenship when he was young and throughout his life, he remained both a proud Norwegian and a patriotic American. Donald was born a twin, but his brother Stanley died of pneumonia not long after birth. Donald grew up in a neighborhood called the Flats in Minneapolis with six other siblings, Richard (“Dick”), James (“Jimmy”), Bernice, Margie, Donna Mae, and Helen. Life there was cramped and sparse, but Donald had fond memories. He recalled designing a pulley system with his brothers that helped his mother hang clothes outside their apartment window. His parents later purchased a home on Camden Avenue, and Donald lived there in his young adulthood. During the summers, Donald spent time working on his aunt and uncle’s farm in North Dakota, but he didn’t particularly enjoy those times spent doing hard labor for his austere Old Country elders. Neither did he like his father’s profession as a painter. Henry Dahl took young Donald to work with him, but Donald got fed up and walked off the job while painting a picket fence! Donald was never one to hide his emotions, whether he was voicing his opinion about a job or expressing his affection for his family with a loving laugh, a big hug, and tears of joy in his eyes. His granddaughter Gabrielle reflected that she could hear his smile even over the phone. Donald went to North High School but left after 8th grade so he could work to help support his family. He constructed his own shoeshine box and worked as a shoeshine in the city. He also had a large paper route that he reminisced about fondly later in his life. In 1948, Donald joined the Army. His wife Marlyn told that he had been so thin when he enlisted that his friends stuffed him with food so that he could qualify! Donald was stationed in West Germany and was part of an American division of military police dispatched to Europe in the aftermath of World War II. He recalled with sadness seeing the bombed-out buildings and the human suffering, broken families and mothers scrounging for food to feed their children. But Donald was proud to serve his country and do what he could to help people. Donald later went on to serve state-side in the Army Reserves and was honorably discharged in 1953. Even after his military service, Donald remained a very thorough and regimented person with a high degree of integrity. His daughter Theresa remembered him as a man who always lived by the book—he was forever a law-abiding, hardworking, and frugal citizen. It was during the years between leaving school and joining the military that Donald met Marlyn Joan Dropps. The couple was married in 1955 and spent 63 years together. Donald recalled accompanying Marlyn’s father to his job at the General Mills plant and being impressed with the work. Donald had started factory work himself and spent his career at the Pako Corporation crating photographic equipment. He recalled biking to and from work and stopping at the bar for an after-work drink with his dad. Donald was a proud union member and sported an International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers watch and decal on his truck even years after his retirement. Donald and Marlyn eventually settled down in a ranch home in Coon Rapids and had three daughters, Theresa, Linda, and Sandra. The family spent several weeks every summer camping at Lake Carlos State Park and were often joined in their vacations by aunts, uncles, and cousins. Donald always brought his boat on the summer trips and loved to spend time on the water. Donald’s passion for the outdoors continued after his daughters had grown up and family summers at Lake Carlos came to an end. In the early 1980s, he and Marlyn purchased a retirement property on Pelican Lake in Ashby and eventually moved there permanently. Donald loved his lake home and his days there were spent boating, putzing with his tools in the garage, and taking long walks down the dusty dirt road with Marlyn. He loved hosting his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren at the lake and taking them for boat rides out to “Bird Island” (Egret Island), a wildlife sanctuary on the lake. Even in death, Donald’s heartfelt connection to Pelican Lake continues to ripple: performing the funeral service is Pastor Chuck Knutson, a nephew of his former neighbors on the lake, Jarl (“Bud”) and Glenice Knutson. Donald’s love of his lake property was second only to his pride in his family and descendants. Donald was never able to travel to Norway himself but remembered with great fondness several family reunions in the 1980s and 90s when his Norwegian cousins paid visits to the States. He was moved to tears when his granddaughter Sallie visited his mother’s childhood home in Jølster and called him from the property. Donald was incredibly proud of his children’s and grandchildren’s many skills, experiences, and accomplishments and reminded them of that often. He was deeply honored to have his grandchildren Shawn (Marines), Dustin (Navy), Nicole (Air Force), and Joshua (National Guard) follow in his footsteps by joining the armed forces. Donald proudly displayed a flag Shawn had given him that had flown at a base where Shawn was stationed in Iraq. Later, when Donald and Marlyn moved to senior housing in Cambridge, Donald was happy to get an apartment with a view of the housing complex’s flagpole. While he was sad to leave his Pelican Lake home, he eventually grew to love his new apartment. Donald’s grandson Michael spent time living at the Pelican Lake property after Donald and Marlyn moved and supplied them with maple syrup and a handmade wooden sign that hung on the wall of their apartment. Donald enjoyed sitting in his recliner by the window in his Cambridge home, admiring the many family photos that surrounded him. He was always ready with a hug and an ice cream for anyone who dropped by. Donald is survived by his wife, Marlyn; three daughters, Theresa, Linda, and Sandra; two sons-in-law, Shelby and Raymond (“Skip”); nine grandchildren, Shawn, Jennifer, Gabrielle, Jeremy, Melissa, Michael, Eric, Nicole, Dustin, Joshua, and Sallie Anna; fifteen great-grandchildren, Justin, Michelle, Tyler, Caleb, Lydia, Benjamin, Carter, Preston, Avery, Blake, Isabel, Layla, Hunter, Emma, and Mikey; several first cousins both in the United States and Norway; and many nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be held at Crystal Lake Chapel at Penn & Dowling Aves N. in Minneapolis on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at 1pm. A reception will follow at the 50’s Grill in Brooklyn Center featuring sandwiches and salads and, of course, ice cream.

Tributes

Mr. Donald Robert Dahl

January 30, 1930 - March 21, 2019

Tributes

Mr. Donald Robert Dahl

January 30, 1930 - March 21, 2019

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